You are here: Home/Mixed Bag/ Staying Slim and Healthy With Almond Milk

Staying Slim and Healthy With Almond Milk

Soy milk. Rice milk. Coconut milk. When it comes to alternatives to traditional cow milk, there are a lot of options out there for people who can’t handle lactose or want to avoid dairy for other reasons. One that you don’t hear a whole lot about, though, is almond milk.

Made by mixing finely ground almonds with water and using a strainer to get rid of sediment and almond skins, this kind of milk has been used as a substitute for cow’s milk since the Middle Ages. People at the time used almond milk in cooking and baking far more frequently than cow’s milk because it didn’t spoil nearly as fast without refrigeration.

Health Benefits of Almond Milk

With all the good things that almond milk can do for you, it’s a mystery why more people don’t use it or know about it.

Compared to cow milk, it has significantly more calcium. Soy and cow milk have more calories per serving, and almond milk is also high in a number of other vitamins and minerals that are part of doctors daily recommendations for normal, healthy adults.

Just a few of the specific health benefits include:

Lactose-intolerant people can use it without any negative effects.

It’s gluten-free for those who can’t handle gluten or don’t want it in their diet.

It’s low in fat—for every 8 ounce serving, there are only three grams of fat.

It’s low in saturated fat which is good since high levels of saturated fats have been associated with a number of diseases.

It’s low in cholesterol which is good since high cholesterol is a major risk factor leading to problems like strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease.

An incredibly high amount of calcium—50 percent more than regular dairy milk.

It’s high in vitamin A—vital for low-light and color vision.

It’s high in vitamin D—needed to absorb calcium and phosphate.

It’s high in vitamin E—among many other benefits, it works as an antioxidant helping your tissues.

It’s high in manganese—stored in our bones, liver, and kidneys.

It’s high in magnesium—needed for over 300 different biochemical reactions in the body.

It’s high in phosphorus which helps to form your bones and teeth and utilize carbohydrates.

It’s high in potassium which is important for building muscle and proteins, maintaining body growth, breaking down carbohydrates, and more.

It’s high in selenium—helps to prevent cellular damage and a number of chronic diseases.

It’s high in iron—needed to prevent anemia.

It’s high in fiber—aids digestion, prevents constipation, and can help with several diseases.

It’s high in zinc—benefits immune systems and helps wounds to heal, along with many other functions.

Almond Milk Will Help to Keep You Thin

Because of how low it is in fat and calories, drinking almond milk is a fantastic way to continue to get the vitamins and nutrients you need without packing on the pounds. But it goes far beyond this. Remember how those people in the Middle Ages used almond milk in cooking and baking? Well, many people actually prefer using it in cooking over regular dairy milk.

That means that almond milk is not only a great beverage for losing weight—it can make a whole host of things that you cook healthier and lower-calorie as well. Essentially, any recipe that calls for regular dairy milk can be altered to use almond milk instead. You’ll save calories on everything from the coffee you drink and the cereal you eat each morning to mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, chicken-fried steak, and an incredible variety of desserts. You would be hard-pressed to find another type of food that can so thoroughly affect your entire diet because of its many uses.

Almond Milk Tastes Great

But the health benefits are just an extra benefit to a lot of people who choose almond milk. They like it better because when compared to plain dairy milk, almond milk is a deliciously sweet alternative that really enhances the flavor in everything it touches. Plus, with almond milk you also get variety, with flavors such as original, vanilla, and dark chocolate, depending on your mood and needs.

With all of these positives, the real question isn’t why people choose almond milk, but why more people haven’t already given it a try. If you want to stay slim and healthy and you like great taste, you owe it to yourself to buy a carton and see what you think.

The information, unless noted specifically, has NOT been verified or approved by FDA. This site is for educational purposes and does not claim to offer medical advice. Please seek a trained professional when appropriate.